Change the Channel!

When I lived in DC, I was submerged in the news. I was completely up-to-date on politics, and even knew about Trent Lott stepping down all of 5 seconds before he announced it on CNN. I knew what was going on in DC, Mississippi and the world. I would read my daily updates from CNN to make sure I didn't miss anything, and I would go through "The Washington Post" and make myself read "real news" before I would read my horoscope.

After I moved, I didn't watch news at all anymore. I was burned out and exhausted. I didn't want to know what was going on with the economy, Iraq, healthcare or anything else that was depressing. As you all know, I love celeb gossip, so I kicked that interest into high gear. After Bert and I got married, I watched ESPN's "Around the Horn" and "PTI" with intense fervor. Jay and Woody became my old James and Tucker. No longer a devoted fan of the now-defunct "Crossfire", I had more important things that deserved my attention. During football season, I needed hourly updates on the condition of TO. Would he play in the Super Bowl? Was he OK?

Everything comes full circle, so today, I clicked on those CNN updates like I used to do so long ago. People were killed in suicide bombings. A serial killer pleaded guilty. The Ten Commandments can't be displayed in courthouses. Mad cow disease was found in American cows.

Reading through these, I realized why I decided to focus my attention on other topics. The news is depressing. Other than the Ten Commandments verdict, everything else was about people killing other people or a disease that can have deadly effects. What else do you see when you turn on the news? Natalee is still missing in Aruba. There was a freak shark attack in Destin, FL. Tom Cruise is running his mouth trying to convince people the use of psychiatric medication and therapy is irresponsible. Sheesh.

I guess a bright spot was the little Boy Scout that survived after being lost in the woods. Other than that, the President's trying to bolster support for a war no one fully understands. American troops in Iraq that were training the new Iraqi army overheard the soldiers singing Saddam's praises. Tell me again why we spent all this money and all these people are dead...

I know it's responsible to know what's going on in the world. That's why I used to trust Headline News. However, if I have to hear Nancy Grace spew garbage one more time, I'm giving up on the network. I just wanted the headlines. I want to find a balance between knowing what's going on and becoming submerged in the depressing news of the day.

Till I find that medium, I'll flip between E!, ESPN and Headline News so I can get a dose of it all. I'll rely on word-of-mouth from friends and family. And when it becomes too much, I can always put on any movie from my collection of DVDs, sit back, relax and have everything be all right with the world for at least two hours.